I am really not a fan of classics. However, I enjoyed this book. It took a really long time to get into it, though.

But in terms of theme...WHOA! Maybe a short background on Puritanism would have helped a little for a frame of reference. This book is about "the time before", which we get a glimpse of in snippets from the narrator's flashbacks, her conversations, and references in lectures and current rules. Apparently, women just had too many rights and rapes and assaults were women's fault.

Then the Gilead Era began. Women became property and were meant to be untouched. Well, most women. But I don't want to spoil it by divulging anything more.

But really, the best part of the book was the prologue. Make sure you read it. It puts the entire book into perspective.